Wandering Through The Land Of Nod.

A Pilates class, a Saint Christopher and a Blessing.

I pushed open the blue outer door and left behind the chilly, dark, January evening.  The mingled smells of disinfectant and stale tea greeted me.  The inner doors admitted me to boxes of tinsel and baubles waiting to be packed away in the under-stage storage as well as warmth and friendship, smiling happy new year and embarrassed groans about too much Christmas Cake.  This was the first Pilates class of the year.  I’d left my dog collar at home, and I was looking forward to stretching away the stress and tiredness of December.

I’d claimed my space and was laying out my mat when she came up to me.  Can I have a word? she said, do you do blessings?

Well yes, I do, I replied, why do you ask?

I’ve been given a Saint Christopher for Christmas, and I need it to be blessed.  She held out her hand, and I looked at the medallion lying in her palm.  Ever since I had a car accident I’ve been scared of driving.   

Saint Christopher is the patron saint of travellers, so this was a thoughtful gift for a nervous driver.  This was a serious request and while I looked at the necklace, pictures of other objects I’d blessed flashed through my mind, a hole in the road, a merchant naval standard, a ship’s bell, a narrowboat, wedding rings and houses.

Each remembered object represents someone’s life and their significant events.  My training incumbent (the priest who worked with me and taught me through my first years of dog collared life) taught me that when you bless an object, you are blessing the person or people it represents, so choose your language appropriately but always take any request seriously.

Here was a woman who knew me as the village vicar and was putting her trust in me.

We went into the kitchen, and I prayed for confidence in driving and safety on our roads.  I blessed the saint’s image, praying that it would be a reminder of God’s care and protection.

She fastened the chain around her neck, and we returned to the main hall, ready for whatever the instructor demanded of us.

To bless someone basically means to make them happy and as a priest it’s my huge joy, privilege and responsibility.    

Personally, I like to follow the ancient practice of counting my blessings.  It’s an antidote to miserable self-pity!

I’m a great fan of new year.  Everything feels new and lighter to me, as if I’ve turned a new page and can start again.  On the second day of 2026, I went for a walk and was blessed with blue sky, birdsong, buds bursting out of wintry branches and catkins dancing in the cold wind.  This itself was a blessing and made me cheery as I thought about the coming year.

What will bless you at the start of this new year?

Happy New Year!

Wander well into 2026,

Mandy.

Things I love:

• New Year
• Blessing
• Pilates